In an effort to increase awareness of Open Access publishing at UNC Charlotte, Atkins Library is introducing a series of interviews with Open Access (OA) Champions around campus. These Champions are faculty and researchers at UNC Charlotte who have published their work in Open Access journals or books, deposited their work in the Niner Commons, or shared their scholarship via other Open Access avenues. Some Champions have received support from the Atkins Library Open Access Publishing Fund to publish in Open Access journals.
Today's OA Champion is Dr. Adam Reitzel from the Department of Biological Sciences.
Q: Why did you decide to publish in an open access journal?
A: Open Access journals make our research available to everyone without barriers. This is very important to us so our research can not only be read by anyone with interest but also to build new collaborations with other researchers and the general public. Journal subscriptions are expensive and paywalls can limit access to scientific results.
Q: How did you obtain the funding? Was it written into your grant?
A: Yes, we include funds for publication charges in our proposals. We greatly appreciate the University’s Open Access Fund to help offset expenses when our grants cannot cover all the fees!
Q: How was your experience publishing open access different than publishing in a traditional pay journal? (licensing, process, etc.)
A: Our experience during the publication process is essentially identical with the exception the paper is released more quickly.
Q: Do you believe that publishing in an open access journal or book increased the visibility of your material?
A: Absolutely.